Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Apparently I'm bringing back the old school diseases. I'll break out some polio or bubonic plague in a few years just to keep the trend going. I had my polio vaccination so that'll be even cooler, bringing it back WHILE vaccinated.

It was as drag as I recall. Lots of laying around in a bleary fever. The big remedy, in 1978 was to give me huge doses of aspirin. Aspirin that began to give me blurred vision and make me sicker than the rheumatic fever - which by my memory probably had passed by then. I had a tutor who helped me do school work and spent part of my time in the hospital - maybe a week? I can't really remember. My main memories of this time are are follows:

Laying on the couch for days and days at a time

Eating ice cream with adult aspirin crushed on it to keep down my fever which was revolting

My Uncle George bringing me my allowance, 3 dollars a week, which I kept hidden in a Whitman's Sampler box.

Going to the hospital and having them draw blood constantly- every few hours, my veins in my arm are weak to this day from it. They collapse if you look at them too hard.

A huge stack of get well cards from my friends at school, lots of pictures that people drew, some people made me puzzle books and coloring books, it was really sweet.

So yeah, I had rheumatic fever as a child. As a precaution against and mitral valve damage that might have been done at the time by the virus I take a big old dose of antibiotic before and after dental work. I'm not 100% on the connection there, but I do it. Dentists act like they are Superman and I am Kryptonite if I come NEAR them un-medicated. Apparently I'll just drop straight dead in the chair or something.

Kidding. Anyway, one more Bold Faced Lie to GO......

Be sure to check out the cool contest over at Props and Pans! Free stuff is good!

1 comments:

Anonymous
said...

The American Heart Association's newest prophylactic antibiotic guidelines recently changed. People with rheumatic fever history no longer require the premedication prior to dental treatment. Of course, I am not a doctor, so check with your doctor and make sure you have none of the other conditions that still require it.